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Piles or Haemorrhoids are among the most
common ailments today, especially in the western world.
They are a varicose and often inflamed condition of the
veins inside or just outside the rectum. IN external
piles, there is a lot of pain but not much bleeding. In
the case of internal piles, there is discharge of dark
blood.
Haemorrhoids are classified from mild to severe depending
on the degree of prolapse, that is, how much they
protrude from the anus. In some cases the veins burst and
this results in what is known as bleeding piles. Symptoms
Pain at
passing stools, slight bleeding in the case of internal
trouble, and a feeling of soreness and irritation after
passing a stool are the usual symptoms of piles. The
patient cannot sit comfortably due to itching,
discomfort, and pain in the rectal region.
Causes
The primary
cause of pile is chronic constipation and other bowel
disorders. The pressure applied to pass a stool to
evacuate constipated bowels and the congestion caused by
constipation ultimately lead to piles. The use of
purgatives to relieve constipation, by their irritating
and weakening effect on the lining of the rectum, also
result in enlargement and inflammation of veins and
bleeding of mucus lining. Piles are more common during
pregnancy and in conditions affecting the liver and upper
bowel. Prolonged periods of standing or sitting,
strenuous work, obesity and general weakness of the
tissues of the body are the other contributory causes of
piles.
Mental tension is also one of the main causes of
haemorrhoids. Persons who are always in a hurry often
strain while passing stools. They rush through defecation
instead of making it a relaxed affair. The pressure thus
exerted by the anal muscles affect the surrounding
tissues. The extra rectal pressure and resultant
congestion of veins ultimately lead to haemorrhoids.
Hereditary factors also probably, involved in the
development of piles.
Dietetic
Treatment
There is no
local treatment to cure piles. The treatment of the basic
cause - namely, chronic constipationis the only way to
get rid of the trouble. To begin the dietetic treatment,
the whole digestive tract must be given a complete rest
for a few days and the intestines thoroughly cleansed.
For this purpose the patient should adopt an all -fruit
diet for atleast seven days. He should have three meals a
day of fresh juicy fruits such as grapes, apples, pears,
peaches, oranges, pineapples and melons. For drinks,
unsweetened lemon water or plain water either hot or cold
may be taken.
In long-standing and stubborn cases, it will be advisable
to have a short fast for four or five days before
adopting an all-fruit diet. When on a short fast, the
patient may have the juice of an orange in a glass of
warm water, if desired. An enema with lukewarm water
should be taken daily in the morning while fasting. This
will cleanse the bowels and give much needed rest to the
rectal tissues.
After the all-fruit diet, the patient may adopt a diet of
neutral foods aimed at securing soft stools. The diet
should be low in fat, it should not contain more than 50
grams of fat. Foods which contain less fat are skimmed
milk, butter-milk, curd and cottage cheese made from
skimmed milk ; all vegetables except cabbage, onions,
dried beans and peas ; cooked and dried cereals, whole
wheat chappatis and fruits and fruit juices.
The ideal diet for the patient with piles should consist
of fruits like papaya, musk melon, apple and pear; green
vegetables particularly spinach, cabbage and radish ;
wheat, porridge, whole meal cereals and milk. Lentils and
daals should be avoided, as they constipate the bowels.
The patient should also abstain from meat, fish, eggs,
cheese, white sugar, sweets, rice, all fried foods and
all white flour products. Tea and coffee should be
avoided. Dry fruits such as figs and raisins and coconuts
should form part of the diet which could be on the
following lines ;
Breakfast
: Papaya,
figs or prunes and milk.
Lunch
: Raw
vegetable salad, whole meal bread with a small quantity
of butter and butter-milk.
Dinner
: Two or
three non-starchy steamed vegetables, nuts, curd, raisins
and a fresh fruit.
Foods rich in vitamin C,
bioflavonoids and vitamin E are essential in the
treatment of haemorrhoids. Such foods include fresh raw
vegetables and fruits, especially cabbage, citrus fruits,
whole grains, seeds and nuts.
Vitamin B6 is also considered highly beneficial in the
treatment of this disease. Piles have been produced in
volunteers deficient in vitamin B6 and corrected when
this vitamin was given. The patient with piles should
supplement his diet with 10 mg. of B6 after each meal.
The patient should drink atleast six to eight glasses of
water a day. He should avoid straining to pass stool.
Cold water treatment helps the veins to shrink and tones
up their walls. The treatment is done by sitting in a tub
filled with cold water for two minutes with knees drawn
up to your chin. The water level should cover the hips.
This should be done twice a day. Cold compress applied to
the rectal area for an hour before bedtime is also very
helpful.
The patient with piles must make an all-out effort to
tone up the entire system. Exercise plays an important
corrective role in this condition. Movements which
exercise the abdominal muscles will improve circulation
in the rectal region and relieve congestion.
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